Chinese reporter allegedly involved in political TV show left in May: MAC

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) A reporter from China's state-run media who was allegedly involved in the production of a political talk show at a Taiwan television station left the country in May, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday, adding that the authorities are investigating the case.

Reporters from China based in Taiwan can stay for three months at a time, and the reporter allegedly involved in the case arrived in February and left in May, said MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) at a news conference.

Liang's remarks came after Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times reported Tuesday that a Taiwan-based reporter from China's state-run Xinhua News Agency was involved in the production of a political talk show made by a local television station, citing an anonymous source.

The report alleged that the Xinhua reporter heavily influenced the themes and scripts of the show, even directly monitoring filming of the show.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Culture (MOC) said that there are currently six media outlets from China with seven reporters stationed in Taiwan, including two reporters from Xinhua, and the ministry will coordinate with the MAC to request explanations from other Xinhua personnel still stationed in Taiwan to verify if the media report is true.

If a reporter based in Taiwan engages in activities inconsistent with the permitted purpose of their stay in Taiwan, the ministry is entitled to revoke their press card, and the National Immigration Agency will then revoke their entry permit and the case will be forwarded to the relevant authorities for legal processing, the MOC noted.

According to a statement by the MAC on Wednesday, involvement in a political television show falls outside the scope of the journalism work that Chinese reporters are permitted to engage in when posted to Taiwan.

The National Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it is investigating the situation but did not answer reporters' questions about which television station's program was involved, stressing only that the news media should maintain independence, professionalism, and autonomy.

An investigation is undergoing to see if there has been a violation of Article 27 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act, which pertains to whether the content of programs or advertisements broadcast by a channel "violate compulsory or prohibitive regulations under the law," the NCC added.

According to Article 48 of the act, if there is such a violation, the NCC may impose a maximum fine of NT$2 million (US$ 61,417) and order the television station to "suspend the program or advertisement transmission."

Liang was asked if the authorities did not have enough evidence to stop the reporter from leaving Taiwan in May, he replied that at this moment, they can only conduct a retrospective investigation into this matter.

Relevant authorities in Taiwan, including the MAC, the MOC, and the NCC, are conducting an administrative investigation into the case, which may also involve judicial aspects, Liang added.

"We have never managed the speech of reporters from China, and we have only one condition: anyone from China permitted to enter Taiwan must not make statements that harm Taiwan's sovereignty," Liang said, adding that no reporter from China has ever been expelled from Taiwan due to issues related to freedom of speech.

Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) said Wednesday that the Liberty Times report is "completely fake news and purely fabricated."

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are using the report to maliciously smear and attack the mainland while misleading the people of Taiwan, Zhu added.

Meanwhile, opposition Kuomintang (KMT) deputy spokesperson Jim Kang (康晉瑜) said at a press conference on Thursday that if the allegation about the Chinese reporter's involvement in the television show is true, the KMT supports the government in thoroughly investigating the matter.

However, if the DPP cannot provide concrete evidence, the ruling party should not maliciously seek to link the KMT to the Chinese Communist Party, Kang said.